Band-brake for vehicles



(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1. J. S. COPELAND.

BAND BRAKE FOR VEHICLES. No. 516,986. Patented Mar. 20, 1894.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. S. COPELAND.

BAND BRAKE FOR VEHIGLBS.

No. 516,986. Patented Mar. 20, 1894.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. S. COPELAND.

BAND BRAKE FOR VEHICLES.

5 .No. 516,986. 3 zPatented Mar. 20.1894.

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PATENT @FFKCE.

JAMES S. COPELAND, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE POPEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BAND-BRAI'(E FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,986, dated March20, 1894.

Application filed May 11, 1892. Serial No. 432,621. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES S. COPELAND, of Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Band-Brakes for Vehicles, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description,whereby anyone skilled The object ofmy invention is to provide a brake that will be operative on some otherportion of a wheel than the tire of a bicycle or like vehicle and in aform that will remove the previous objections to old forms of brakes ofthis class.

To this end my invention consists in a band brake and in the combinationof the several parts, making up the brake as applied to a Wheel as moreparticularly hereinafter described and pointed out inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a detail front view of the frontfork and part of the handle of a bicycle showing the manner of applyingthe brake. Fig. 2 is a detail side view on enlarged scale showing'thebrake. Fig. 3 is a detail view in central section of the axis of thewheel showing the brake flange. Fig. 4 is a detail front view'of thespoke flange showing the distribution of the fastening points. Fig. 5 isa detail view illustrating the operation of the separator arm in holdingthe band out of contact with the surface of the drum. Fig. 6 is a viewin elevation of a Wheel showing my improved hub, a rim and those of thespokes which are appurtenant to one end of the hub; those extending tothe other end being broken off near the rim.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes the front fork of abicycle, b the steering head and a the steering post to which the forka, is secured, and also the handle 0, in any convenient manner. A wheelis mounted in the fork on any convenient form of bearings and has ahollow hub 01 through which the axis extends and is secured. This hub,in the form of my invention herein described, is provided on one end clwith a flanged ring e that is firmly secured to the hub in anyconvenient manner and has a flange e','preferably flat on the outer sideso as to afiord a binding surface for the band brake f that is mountedin operative relation to the surface of the flange.

The band brake is preferably pivoted at the end f to a bracket g, thatis secured to the fork, and wraps to a greater or less extent around thering 6 and terminates in a socket piece f that is'preferably pivoted tothe outer end of the brake. This brake is made up preferably of ametallic spring having secured to its under side a shoe 72, made ofleather or like durable material that is flexible and adapted to wrapclosely about and bind upon the surface of the flange. To this outer endof the brake there is pivotally attached a rocking arm z'that isfulcrumed on a fixed part of the axis and extends transverselyacross thebrake as a whole The outer end of this arm is provided with a separatorcam t" the function of which is to engage a lug f preferably formed by apiece of metal bolted to the brake at the proper place to be engaged bythe cam and which when so engaged causes the band brake as a whole to belifted out of engagement.

equivalent a serious objection to this form of brake as a whole isremoved. The difliculty has been to prevent suchabrake from clinging tothe surface of the wheel at times when it is not desired to have thebrake in operation, so that it has been rather a detriment than an aid.This separator arm forms an element in my improved brake thatelfectually prevents the latter from engaging the surface of the wheelexcept when the brake is intentionally put into operation by a thrust or.pull that throws the cam out of engagement with the lug and throws theshoe of the brake into contact with the surface beneath it.

I prefer to operate this band brake by means of a lever Z pivoted to thehandle bar and having one end in engagement with the shorter lever 012so that by lifting on the handle Z the lever m that is pivoted to thehandle at the center is rocked in such manner as to exert a pullingstrain upon the rod n that is provided with suitable takeup means n toenable the proper degree of strain to be put upon thebrakeby a givenextent of movement of the handle I of the lever. At the point ofconnection between the levers l and m there is preferably no pin or likesecuring means but the surface of the end Z of the lever is beveled onone side and rests against a similarly beveled socket m on the end ofthe lever m, the resting of such surfaces against each other tending tocompensate for any wear and take up and provide for any rattle betweenthe parts that are in contact.

It is obvious that the main feature of the improvement residing in theseparator device used in connection with the hand brake may be appliedin various forms and to any i band brake mounted in operative relationother wheel as well as to the steering wheel, and my invention is notlimited to the particular manner of application nor to the particularmeans employed in applying the features of the separator to the handbrake.

In order to provide for the peculiar strain that is thrown upon thewheel by the operation of the brake applied in the manner described thespokes are anchored to the flange of the hub alternately, the end of onespoke extending to the inner series 1) of holes while the end of thenext spoke is anchored in the outer series 13 of holes. By this meansspokes of equal length are used and at the same time connection is madein such manner as to prevent any danger of rupture of the spokes byreason of the extra stress put upon them by the operation of the brake.

The flange of the hub to which the brake drum is applied is formed ondifferent planes or offset, as shown in the sectional view in Fig. 3,the object being to allow the spokes which are anchored in the hubflange to all project from the inner side and pass each other withoutbeing bent.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with a brake band supportedfrom its ends in operative relation to the drum about which it iswrapped, a separator arm extending across the edge of the drhm andengaging a part of the hand between its points of support and normallyoperating to lift the band out of contact with the drum, and the brakeoperating lever and connections all substantially as described.

2. In combination with a flanged Wheel, a band brake adapted to embracethe flange, a separator arm with its operating spring and having a camadapted toengage a projection on the brake, and the brake operatinglever, all substantially as described.

3. In combination with a flanged wheel, a

thereto, a separator arm bearing a cam, the spring operating to hold thecamnormally in engagement with the brake, and the brake and armoperating means, all substantially as described.

4. In combination with the fork of a bicycle, a wheel hub bearing aflange secured thereto, a band brake secured to the fork and embracingthe flange, an adjustable pull rod extending from the outer end: of thebrake to the outer end of a short lever, a short lever m pivoted to thesteering bar, the handle lever also pivoted to the handle bar and havinga beveled end engaging a beveled socket on the lever m, allsubstantially as described.

JAMES S. COPELAND.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. BURDETT, GEO. H. DAY.

